Digital receiver: GMM Z Trading joins the fray
THE market for terrestrial-based digital TV receivers appears to be facing fiercer competition as GMM Grammy, the country's leading music and entertainment empire, is teaming up with Loxley to launch another set-top box.
GMM Grammy’s GMM Z Trading will sell the “GMM Z Zeason by Loxley” box via its own distribution channels including major discount stores, satellite TV dealers, convenience stores and Skytrain stations.
GMM, which runs two commercial digital terrestrial TV channels, is also earmarking about 10 per cent of estimated sales for advertising and marketing activities during the campaign.
Loxley, which is one of largest telecommunications and broadcasting technology firms, is responsible for the production of this cutting-edge box throughout the campaign. It will also supply transmitters and related equipment for digital terrestrial TV broadcasting to the Army, which is the largest provider of digital TV networks for 11 commercial digital TV stations.
Fahmai Damrongchaitham, chief operating officer for platform business at GMM Z Trading, said yesterday that his company is targeting at least 10 per cent of the digital TV receivers market, which was just established after the arrival of digital terrestrial TV in the country.
More than 70 companies sell such products, but only 42 were authorised by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to offer redemption of the vouchers for purchasing a digital TV set-top box or digital TV set. Each household must receive the Bt690 voucher from the NBTC.
In the first phase, the NBTC has given away 4.6 million vouchers to people in 21 provinces. In the second phase starting next month, the broadcasting regulator will distribute 4 million vouchers to 21 more provinces. So far, about 400,000 coupons have been used for purchasing digital TV receivers.
GMM Z Trading offers a complete set of digital TV set-top box, antenna and cables for Bt990. Buyers of its GMM Z Zeason box will also get a Bt3,000 voucher that can be used at its partners such as Major Cineplex, Hot Pot restaurants, Toshiba and Air Amena.
Dew Waratangtagoon, managing director for platform strategy at GMM Z Trading, said that with those business partners, the company could manage and share costs effectively.
Recently, Nation TV joined forces with One Box Home, a leading manufacturer of digital TV set-top boxes, and other key partners to offer vouchers to customers for a complete digital TV receiver set.
Eaksakdi Daengdej, chief executive officer of One Box Home, has said the Bt500 vouchers would be distributed through its partners Thai Life Insurance, Advance Info Service and TV Direct to selected customers.
Thai Life Insurance, for instance, has at least 4 million customers, AIS has more than 40 million subscribers and TV Direct has over 2 million members. One Box Home hopes that those vouchers will lure customers to purchase the digital TV receivers sold by One Box Home.
